A tale of soap and fibre: How world-class connectivity arrived in Mayo

This story is part of our ‘Voices along the line’ content series. Explore more articles – and watch our video looking back at the Every Community Project – right here.

It’s undeniable that the internet is deeply entrenched in everyday life. It’s how we register our kids for swimming lessons, pay our bills, stay connected with loved ones, work remotely, and access everything from breaking news to binge-worthy shows. No matter how you use it, one thing is clear – the internet is no longer a novelty, but the infrastructure of modern existence.

In the central Yukon community of Mayo, on the traditional territory of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, access to reliable, high-speed internet is about more than the above use cases; it is about access to opportunities in the outside world – distance learning, remote work, virtual healthcare services, and access to the global marketplace.

This last point rings particularly true for Joella Hogan, the proprietor of the Yukon Soaps Company, who uses the internet daily in her business to connect with customers across Canada and around the world.

Joella’s company makes soaps from natural ingredients harvested from the areas around her home community, which are sold across the Yukon, the country, and even abroad. She also runs the Raven’s Landing Suite, which is both a nightly and long-term accommodation, situated in the heart of downtown Mayo.

Boosting business efficiency

Prior to the arrival of high-speed fibre internet in Mayo as part of Northwestel’s Every Community Project, Joella says that all that was available was “the basic internet package from Northwestel” – 15 Mbps with data caps over DSL technology. (DSL delivers internet over traditional copper telephone lines with limited speeds, while fibre uses light signals through glass cables to provide far faster, more reliable connections.)

She adds that the service could be finicky, and that she sometimes had to reset her modem, which could be a bother for Raven’s Landing guests.

“To sum up my experience with internet services in Mayo before the arrival of fibre, it was frustrating,” Joella says.

Fibre internet officially arrived in Mayo and Stewart Crossing in November 2023, offering residents in the neighbouring communities access to the North’s fastest home internet – at the time 500 Mbps speeds – and unlimited monthly data. (At present, the community enjoys 750 Mbps.)

At the time of the fibre launch, Northwestel President Curtis Shaw noted “the very same technology that powers places like downtown Vancouver now powers Mayo and Stewart Crossing,” highlighting the community’s major jump in connectivity.

 “Reliable and consistent internet has made the difference for me and my business” – Joella Hogan 

In the wake of the fibre launch, Joella notes that things are different. Now, the internet services her business uses are more reliable, and she doesn’t need to worry about data overages.

She also says that, while the faster service has not so much changed how she runs Yukon Soaps Company, it has streamlined her operations.

“Fibre internet helped my business become more efficient. The arrival of fibre internet didn’t necessarily allow us to do more things, but it allowed us to do what we were already doing better and more efficiently,” Joella says matter-of-factly.

She adds that she often gets asked to be a guest speaker in classrooms and at conferences and events across Canada. These appearances are both a revenue stream for Joella and a chance to promote her business, so being able to participate in these events and activities virtually with reliable internet has been a real positive for her.

Looking back on her decision, Joella says she is happy she chose Northwestel’s fibre internet, although she admits that she had considered switching her business to Starlink in the lead-up to the fibre launch in Mayo. However, after talking to a Northwestel representative, she decided to give the new technology and services a shot. She says she viewed the new internet technology as something of a risk, as if it didn’t perform as advertised, it could impact the experience of her guests at Raven’s Landing.

Additionally, the security infrastructure at Joella’s businesses utilizes the internet, and there were concerns that unreliable internet could negatively impact the system.

“It’s nerve-wracking when you take a risk with a new product, and it could impact your business and your guests from around the world who are staying with you, because everyone needs the internet,” she says, adding she’s been impressed with Northwestel’s internet and that “reliable and consistent internet has made the difference for me and my business.”

Communities are at our core

The Northwestel team prides itself on rooting our identity in the North – in the people and places we serve. While this mindset – grounded in our commitment to northern communities – guides the decisions we make about our network, products, and services, it also comes to life in the way our teammates connect with the residents and businesses we serve.

Speaking about the installation of fibre in Mayo and to her business, Joella warmly recounts her experience with the Northwestel technicians who visited the Yukon Soap Company.

She says the techs were super curious about her business after seeing people going in and out, so they stopped by to learn more and ultimately offered to help out.

“The crew that set up [the fibre] was so great. They wanted to give back and contribute, so I put them to work in the soap shop for the afternoon,” says Joella.

Asked if the technicians were as adept at soap-making as they are at connectivity-related matters, Joella laughs.

“They were great, it was a perfect chance for them to learn about soap making and the Yukon’s wild plants (Joella uses natural Yukon ingredients – such as wild rose petals, fireweed, and juniper berries – in her soap production).”

She says that the techs helped her move ingredients used in soap making, and they were able to get a first-hand experience of the soap production process.

Curtis Wright was one of the techs involved in the Mayo fibre installation who stopped by Yukon Soaps Company to help Joella. He says that it was a genuine pleasure working in Mayo and that participating in the hands-on work of installing fibre in the community was a great honour. He also fondly recalls his stint as an apprentice soapmaker.

“Being involved in elevating connectivity in Mayo was a great experience, and the highlight was probably our visit to the Yukon Soaps Company. Joella is such an incredibly talented individual, and getting to help at her business and learn more about her work was rewarding and memorable,” Curtis says.

Joella also recalls Curtis returning to Mayo months after the fibre launch to participate in the community’s Pride Parade.

“We love Mayo, so returning to support the Pride festivities was a no-brainer,” Curtis shares.

We’re not done yet...

The Every Community Project is now wrapped up, having connected 95% of homes in the Yukon and Northwest Territories to world-leading connectivity technology. But we aren’t done yet.

Since the project has concluded, we’ve rolled out gigabit internet speeds in fibre communities such as Atlin and in areas of Whitehorse, such as Golden Horn. In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to rolling out faster speeds in communities across both territories – including Mayo.

Be sure to keep an eye on Northwestel’s community blog for exciting updates about the rollout of gigabit speeds in the North!

Most images in this article were taken on the traditional territory of the First Nation of Na Cho Nyäk Dun.